Can conveyer



March 9 1926. 1,576,429

F.0.HUTTGN CAN CON'VEYER iled Feb. l2, i923 3 Sheets-ShefrA 1 .gl Y o OHT; :i E1 r o o o I| Il 1| H l, x o

L- all March 9 F.l O. HUTTON GAN GONVEYER Filed Feb. l2, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTY'S. Q

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANK OLINGER HUTTON, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

CAN CONVEYER.

Application led February 12, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, FRANK OnINGnn I-IU'r- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sacramento, county of Sacramento, and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can Conveyers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can conveyers for use in connection withexhausters, cookers, coolers, etc.

In a prior Patent, No. 1,393,288, issued to me October 11th, 1921, Ishow a combined exhauster and cooker having horizontally arrangedtortuous canways. In the exha-uster section the cans are introduced atthe center of the spiral canway and hence the conveyer has to bearranged above or below said canways. The cans going into the exhausterare, of course, unsealed and provision must be made for transferring theopen cans from the feed conveyor to the canway. It is to this transfermechanism that the present invention relates.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the constructionand operation of conveying and transferring mechanism of the charactermentioned.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 shows a vertical, sectional,central view of a portion of the can exhauster equipped with conveyingmechanism embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectional view of the transfer mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in plan section disclosing the mechanismfor shifting the cans onto and ofi of the transfer mechanism.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, I show al box orcasing 10 fitted with spiral guides 11 forming canways. Below the guidesare concentric rings 12 to support and propel the cans, said rings beingcarried on radially disposed drive shafts 13. Leading into the boxbeneath the rings 12 and terminating near the innermost ring is a feedconveyer 14.

Disposed at the center of the box within the innermost ring is atransfer mechanism for moving the cans from the feed conveyer on to theinnermost ring. This mechanism comprises a lower plate 15 journaled uponan inclined axle 16 supported in a bracket 17 fixed to the floor of theexhaust box. This bottom plate has a ring gear 19 meshing with a bevelpinion 2O on a countershaft 21.

Serial No. 618,557.

Fixed to the axle 16 by means of an arm 2la is an offset and inclinedsleeve 22 which forms a bearing for a spindle 23, said spindle carryingan upper plate 24 which is disposed parallel with the bottom plate l5,and has its center in vertical alignment therewith. Between the upperand lower plates at suitable intervals on the periphery thereof arearranged vertically disposed can holders each consisting of anopen-sided frame 25 having at its lower end a stem 26 terminating in abail 27, which bail is seated in a socket 28 carried by the lower plate.A stem 29 is formed on the upper end of the can holder and extendsthrough an opening in the upper plate. The point of connection of thestem 29 with the upper plate and the point of connection of the stem 26with the lower plate are arranged at equal distances from the center oraxis of rotation of the respective plates, and hence the can holderswill be maintained in upright position throughout their path of travel,inasmuch as the centers of rotation of said plates are in verticalalignment. The top plate 24 is driven by the bottom plate 15 throughsuit able gearing 31, said gearing preferably including a spur gearrigid with the plate 15 and meshing with an idler spur gear, which idlerspur gear in turn meshes with a spur gear rigid with the spindle 23.

A preferred driving arrangement for the transferI mechanism consists ofa shaft 30 arranged below the transfer mechanism, said shaft beingconnected by gears 32 to the countershaft 21 and also having suitabledriving connections 33 with the radial shafts 13 as well as with thefeed conveyer 14.

In the operation of the device the two plates 15 and 24, being connectedtogether by the can holders, will rotate in unison, the lower platemoving about its axle 16 and the upper plate about the sleeve 23. Bothplates being inclined and having vertically disposed can holdersarranged between them, a can will be received by a holder in itslowermost position and carried in upright position to the opposite sidewhere it will be deposited on the innermost ring of the spiral canways.

This same mechanism obviously can be used for lowering cans from oneconveyor to another.

It will be seen that one of the plates constitutes a supporting anddriving member while the other serves merely to maintain the can holdersin upright position. The extent of offset of the spindle 23 bears such arelation to the degree of inclination of the two plates as to bring thecenters of rotation of the two plates into vertical alignment and thuspermit the can holders, when connected to said plates at equal distancesfrom said centers, to remain in upright position throughout their pathof travel.

The present invention insures a uniform travel of the open cans from oneelevation to another and dispenses with the cam tracks employed by me inthe prior patent above mentioned.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several partsherein shown and described may be employed without departing from thespirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: y

1. In combination with a horizontally disposed tortuous canway and feedconveyer extending into juxtaposition of the innermost canway and in adifferent plane therefrom and means to transfer cans from the feedconveyer on to the innermost canway comprising parallel upper and lowerrotatable members inclined from the horizontal and having their centersof rotation in substantial vertical alignment, and vertically disposedcan holders arranged between said members at the outer ends thereof.

2. Mechanism for conveying cans from one elevation to another comprisingparallel upper and lower rotatable members inclined from the horizontaland having their centers of rotation in substantial vertical alignment,and vertically disposed can holders arranged between said members at theouter ends thereof.

3. Mechanism for conveying cans from one elevation to another comprisingparallel upper and lower rotatable members arranged on an incline,inclined axles for said members so offset as to bring the centers ofrotation of said members into substantial vertical alignment, and canholders arranged between said members and connected thereto at equaldistances from said centers of rotation.

4. Mechanism for conveying cans from one elevation to another comprisingparallel upper and lower rotatable members arranged on an incline,offset axles for v,said members inclined so as to bring the centers ofsaid members into substantial vertical alignment, vertically disposedcan holders arranged between said holders and a pivotal connectionbetween each of said members and the can holder located at equaldistances from the centers of rotation of the said members.

5. Mechanism for conveying cans from one elevation to another comprisingparallel upper and lower rotatable members arranged on an incline, withtheir centers of rotation in vertical alignment, vertically disposed canholders arranged between said holders, a ball and socket connectionbetween one of said members and the can holder and a pivotal connectionbetween the other one of said members and the can holder.

FRANK OLINGER HUTTON.

